A former flight school owner who admitted to bilking students and employees out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has pleaded guilty.

It's a story WDSU first reported about two years ago. On Monday, the former owner of a flight school just outside Houma pleaded guilty to theft after bilking students and employees out of money. Former student Landon Lenard says it's been a long road

"It cost me a possible future career. I had to go work off-shore in the gulf and when the BP oil spill happened I was out of work for three months. Now I work nuclear security," said Lenard.

Lenard had dreamed of being a helicopter pilot, so in 2009 he signed up for lessons at Johnston flying services just outside Houma. His mother paid the tuition -- $28,000 up front -- using her father's inheritance money.

Warren Spears also paid up front.

"When I came back to the states from deployment to Iraq, I had a lot of money saved up and that's what I was going to do was go to flight school," said Spears.

But, eventually the school shut down and Jewett left town owing 20 students and instructors hundreds of thousands dollars.

"I thought the first time he was in prison -- that something was going to happen, but when I found out he was released I was like, 'Why?,'" said Spears.

In 2010 a grand jury failed to indict Jewett on racketeering charges, but the District Attorney's Office persisted.

Back then, Assistant District Attorney Carlos lazarus said:

"The code of criminal procedure allows the district attorney to disregard a grand jury's no true bill if other available charges can be brought."

So did Lenard's mother, Eudolia Arabie, contacting WDSU to tell her story.

"Thank you for your coverage cause, I think it really helped," said Arabie.

Victims know they'll likely never get all their money back.

"He's 45 years old and he'll owe $200,000. So $200,000 divided by six people at $1,500 a month maximum set by the court. We're looking at gas money, per person per month," said Lenard.

Still Eudolia Arabie sees it as a victory for her entire family.

"And it just so happens that tomorrow is the third anniversary of my father's death, so its gratifying to know it came around this time," said Arabie wistfully.

On May 2, a judge will decide just how much each victim will receive. Jewett was sentenced to two years in jail with credit for nearly a year already served. We contacted Jewett's attorney for comment on this story, but he did not return our call.